Where to stay in Cartagena

Cartagena splits its hotel stock along two spines: the colonial walled city and the high-rise beachfront strip of Bocagrande, linked by a short causeway. Most first-time visitors default to the walls, but the real choice is about rhythm. Centro and Getsemani put you on cobblestone streets where music pours from doorways past midnight. Bocagrande lines you along Avenida San Martin with pool decks, ocean frontage, and lobbies that feel closer to Miami than to a Caribbean port town. Beyond those poles, quieter pockets like Manga, Marbella, and La Boquilla trade proximity for local texture and lower rates. Budget beds start at $18 a night in Getsemani hostels; the luxury ceiling climbs to $782 at a Four Seasons address. The ten neighborhoods below follow hotel density, not editorial preference. The right one depends on whether you want to fall asleep to bass from a plaza bar or to waves hitting a seawall.

1. 1

   Bocagrande, Cartagena

   High-rise beachfront peninsula, western Cartagena

   Resort-strip beachfront with pool decks and ocean views, connected to the old city by causeway.

   At about $161 a night, Hotel Caribe by Faranda Grand holds an 8.7 on Bocagrande's beachfront strip and anchors the mid-range tier with a courtyard campus and pool deck that have drawn repeat visitors for decades. The budget side surprises: Oz Hotel Luxury carries a 9.1 on balcony rooms for roughly $67. Skip the generic towers near the convention center; the Caribe's open-air restaurant and gardens earn the walk from either end of Avenida San Martin. Bocagrande is flat, fully walkable along the seafront, and connects to the walled city by causeway. It suits travelers who want beach proximity and air conditioning over colonial atmosphere. The strip's restaurants lean international, and the nightlife fades earlier than in Getsemani.

   1. Budget

      Oz Hotel Luxury

      Room is upgraded with balcony for additional pay at check-in counter. Good experience with late check out at 1pm.

      9.1/10 rating ~$67/night
      Check rates
   2. Mid-Range

      Hotel Caribe by Faranda Grand, a Member of Radisson Individuals

      The old 5 star hotel that stayed when I first came to CARTAGENA 10 years ago, was very impressed, especially for the courtyard layout, the swimming pool and the restaurant on the side. It arrived at a

      8.7/10 rating ~$161/night
      Check rates
2. 2

   Bocagrande

   Southern beachfront stretch along the Bocagrande coastline, Cartagena

   Full-tier beach corridor from budget to luxury along the southern Bocagrande waterfront.

   The Hyatt Regency Cartagena sits along the coastline at 9.0 and about $250 a night, setting the luxury ceiling for Bocagrande's southern stretch. The mid-range Estelar Cartagena de Indias scores an 8.9 at $193 with a convention-center footprint and direct beach access, though the beachfront itself is under construction. Don't bother with the overpriced lobby bars when street-level restaurants along Carrera 2 serve the same seafood for less. Hotel Blue Concept holds down the budget tier at 8.4 and $67, reliable and clean without pretending to be something more. This end of Bocagrande stays quieter than the northern blocks near the causeway, with wider sidewalks and fewer taxi horns. It works for travelers who want a resort pace, pool mornings, and the walled city as a day trip rather than a doorstep.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Blue Concept

      If I could give you more than 5 stars, I would. To be honest, a generally excellent hotel. Impeccable service, delicious food, clean and tidy facilities, comfortable rooms and in a very nice area. The

      8.4/10 rating ~$67/night
      Check rates
   2. Mid-Range

      Estelar Cartagena de Indias Hotel y Centro de Convenciones

      Excellent service, very well attended, its staff is well prepared for guest service. Clean room. It offers a beach 50 meters away but currently there is no beach. They are under construction, so you m

      8.9/10 rating ~$193/night
      Check rates
   3. Luxury

      Hyatt Regency Cartagena

      The hotel is strategically located along the coastline, 15 minutes' walk away from the old town of the World Heritage Site. Booked a sea view room and gave it to a high floor when I checked in. The vi

      9.0/10 rating ~$250/night
      Check rates
3. 3

   Centro, Cartagena

   Colonial walled city, historic center of Cartagena

   Colonial boutique hotels inside the walls, steps from the cathedral and the ramparts.

   Music drifts through the colonial streets of Centro well past midnight, and the accommodation here matches the setting. Casa de Alba Hotel Boutique holds a 9.5 at about $192, the highest-rated mid-range pick in the city, set inside a restored townhouse near Plaza de Bolívar. The budget tier is just as strong: Casa Noa Colonial Rooms scores a 9.2 at $59, close to everything and small enough that the staff remembers your name. Charleston Santa Teresa Cartagena anchors the luxury end at 9.4 and $338 inside a converted convent. The locals know this part of Centro as the quiet residential side of the walls, not the plaza-bar strip that pulls the late-night crowds. Stay here if you want to walk to the cathedral, the museums along Calle de la Inquisición, and the ramparts without ever hailing a cab.

   1. Budget

      Casa Noa Colonial Rooms

      The best, it is close to everything, I would never doubt host again.

      9.2/10 rating ~$59/night
      Check rates
   2. Mid-Range

      Casa de Alba Hotel Boutique

      9.5/10 rating ~$192/night
      Check rates
   3. Luxury

      Charleston Santa Teresa Cartagena

      9.4/10 rating ~$338/night
      Check rates
4. 4

   Getsemani, Cartagena

   Arts and backpacker quarter south of the walled city, Cartagena

   Street-art quarter with Cartagena's widest price range, from $18 hostels to a Four Seasons.

   At about $18 a night, Masaya Cartagena scores an 8.7 and makes Getsemani the most accessible entry point in the city for budget travelers. The neighborhood sits just outside the walled city's southern gate, centered on Plaza de la Trinidad where street performers and food carts run until the small hours. The mid-range Osh Hotel Cartagena holds a 9.2 at $179 with a rooftop that overlooks the old walls, and the Four Seasons Hotel & Residences Cartagena pushes the ceiling to $782 for travelers who want the neighborhood's grit with five-star insulation. Skip the overpriced cocktail terraces on the tourist side of the plaza; the side streets running toward Calle de la Sierpe have better food and lower tabs. Getsemani is Cartagena's backpacker and street-art quarter, louder and rougher-edged than Centro, and that is what draws the repeat visitors.

   1. Budget

      Masaya Cartagena

      Great location. I liked the privacy for each dorm bed. The free yoga and various activities were great too. Unfortunately the shower didn’t drain super well, so I was standing on the water in the show

      8.7/10 rating ~$18/night
      Check rates
   2. Mid-Range

      Osh Hotel Cartagena

      The Osh hotel has such an amazing vibe. As you enter the lobby, you are greeted by their lovely staff with a welcome drink. Check in was really smooth and they offered options for my room category, an

      9.2/10 rating ~$179/night
      Check rates
   3. Luxury

      Four Seasons Hotel & Residences Cartagena

      9.5/10 rating ~$782/night
      Check rates
5. 5

   La Boquilla, Cartagena

   Fishing village and beach strip, northern Cartagena

   Quiet fishing-village beach removed from the tourist corridors.

   The fishing village of La Boquilla stretches along a narrow strip north of the city, where the mangrove lagoon meets the Caribbean and the tourist buses do not reach. Hotel Serema holds an 8.6 at about $60 a night and sits close to the waterfront where lanchas depart for mangrove tours each morning. Avoid the beachfront hawker zones closer to town; La Boquilla's stretch of sand is wider, emptier, and backed by seafood shacks that cook the morning catch. The trade-off is distance: you are a cab ride from the walled city, and after dark the area is quiet in a way that suits early risers, not bar-hoppers. The locals head here on weekends for ceviche and fried fish, not for hotel pools. It works for travelers who want a beach village feel and are willing to trade walkable nightlife for it.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Serema

      8.6/10 rating ~$60/night
      Check rates
6. 6

   Manga, Cartagena

   Residential island between the old city and Bocagrande, Cartagena

   Residential island with lower rates and a short bridge crossing to either the old city or the beach strip.

   The island of Manga sits between the old city and Bocagrande, connected by bridges on both sides but overlooked by most visitors. Holiday Inn Express CARTAGENA MANGA by IHG holds an 8.3 at $102 and delivers the brand's predictable rooms without the Bocagrande markup. Hotel Casa Castel covers the budget tier at 8.2 and about $65. The locals skip Manga for nightlife, and that is the point: it is a residential island where the noise drops and the commute to either the walled city or the beach strip stays short. Don't bother with Manga if you want to stumble home from a bar; do consider it if you want a quiet room, a morning run along the waterfront Malecón, and rates that undercut the tourist corridors. The restaurants here serve Colombian home cooking, not tourist menus.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Casa Castel

      8.2/10 rating ~$65/night
      Check rates
   2. Mid-Range

      Holiday Inn Express CARTAGENA MANGA by IHG

      Me gustó el servicio y las habitaciones, queda algo retirado de farmacias y lugares de interés, no obstante lo recomiendo cuando se viaja solo con adultos y con facilidad de moverse

      8.3/10 rating ~$102/night
      Check rates
7. 7

   Marbella, Cartagena

   Waterfront residential corridor between Bocagrande and the walled city, Cartagena

   Modern apartment-style stays on the waterfront between the walled city and Bocagrande.

   The residential stretch of Marbella runs along the waterfront between Bocagrande and the walled city, quieter than both and priced accordingly. Bondo Hometel scores a 9.2 at about $75 a night for spacious apartment-style rooms in a modern building, which makes it one of the stronger value plays in the city. Skip the overpriced boutique conversions near the walls if you want space and a kitchen; Marbella's modern stock offers both. The neighborhood is mostly local apartments, pharmacies, and corner bakeries, not tourist infrastructure, and that keeps the rates honest. You can walk south along the seafront road to Bocagrande's restaurants or north toward the walled city's Clock Tower gate. It suits longer stays and self-catering travelers who treat their room as a base, not a destination.

   1. Budget

      Bondo Hometel

      Classy apartments in modern building, with clean, spacious rooms. Everything is very comfortable, comfortable, there is everything necessary. Excellent location, kind staff.

      9.2/10 rating ~$75/night
      Check rates
8. 8

   Centro

   Commercial blocks inside the walled city, central Cartagena

   Budget to luxury inside the walls, with local commercial texture over tourist polish.

   Noise hums through the commercial blocks of Centro where the souvenir shops give way to phone-repair stalls and local lunch counters. Hotel Marie Real Cartagena holds a 7.7 at $50, the lowest rate inside the walls, and delivers a clean room with solid breakfast in a part of town where most tourists do not linger. The luxury end jumps to Movich Hotel Cartagena de Indias at 9.2 and $307, whose rooftop is the standout feature, worth the climb for the view alone. The locals go to this side of Centro for errands, not atmosphere, and the gap between the two tiers reflects the split: functional budget beds and one polished anchor, with little in between. Better than the high-rise chains on the peninsula if you want to stay inside the walls on a tighter budget. The trade-off is rougher street noise and fewer restaurant options after dark.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Marie Real Cartagena

      Excellent location, excellent service and delicious breakfast.

      7.7/10 rating ~$50/night
      Check rates
   2. Luxury

      Movich Hotel Cartagena de Indias

      I really enjoyed my stay at moving. The breakfast every morning was amazing, the staff was so friendly and helpful. The hotel itself was really nice and clean. The rooftop is their really beauty point

      9.2/10 rating ~$307/night
      Check rates
9. 9

   Gente de Mar

   Beachfront pocket north of the main tourist corridors, Cartagena

   Remote beachfront escape for travelers prioritizing sand and quiet over city access.

   Salt air drifts off the water at Gente de Mar, a small beachfront pocket removed from Cartagena's main tourist corridors. Vista Mare Beach House holds an 8.6 at about $240 a night for a low-key luxury stay that trades lobby grandeur for direct sand access. The mid-range Hotel Isla Del Pirata scores an 8.1 at $113 and leans into the island-outpost feel. Avoid the area if you need walkable restaurants and nightlife; this is a place to read on the beach and eat whatever the house kitchen serves. The distance from the walled city is real, and a cab or boat is part of the daily routine. It suits couples and small groups chasing a quiet Caribbean escape within Cartagena's orbit, not first-timers who want the old town on foot.

   1. Mid-Range

      Hotel Isla Del Pirata

      8.1/10 rating ~$113/night
      Check rates
   2. Luxury

      Vista Mare Beach House

      8.6/10 rating ~$240/night
      Check rates
10. 10

    Getsemaní

    Western fringe of the Getsemaní quarter near the bay, Cartagena

    Quieter western edge of the arts quarter, closer to the bay than to the backpacker bars.

    The western edge of Getsemaní catches the light off the bay and sits a few blocks from the louder plaza scene of its neighboring zone. GHL Arsenal Hotel holds a 9.0 at $148 a night and occupies a converted building on the quieter side of the quarter, closer to the waterfront than to the street-art alleys. The locals prefer this fringe for the breathing room; the backpacker bars and graffiti tours cluster east, and the noise drops noticeably by the time you reach these blocks. Not worth the walk if you came for Getsemaní's party energy, but right for travelers who want the neighborhood's address and its proximity to the walled city without the late-night soundtrack. Morning coffee runs go to the corner tiendas, not to a hotel lobby.

    1. Mid-Range

       GHL Arsenal Hotel

       Cleanliness is neglected, the hotel is falling into disrepair, and there are thefts from the rooms.

       9.0/10 rating ~$148/night
       Check rates